Logitech G announces PowerPlay wireless charging system

Logitech G, the eponymous company's gaming division, has officially announced its first gaming mice to include in-use wireless charging under the technology name 'PowerPlay'.

Designed to prevent gamers from having to swap batteries or tether their wireless mice, PowerPlay works by putting wireless charging coils into the mousepad itself. As the wireless mouse runs over the mousepad, it is able to inductively charge from these coils - both while sat at-rest and in active use, Logitech claims. The result: a wireless mouse which is actively charging at all times at any position on the 275mm x 320mm PowerPlay mat.

Interestingly, the technology for receiving the wireless power isn't to be built directly into mice themselves; instead, Logitech is making available what it calls the 'PowerCore module', an add-on device which connects to compatible wireless gaming mouse to enable PowerPlay connectivity. These, naturally, include the company's latest gaming mice: the Logitech G903 and G703.

In addition to PowerPlay, Logitech has announced a second technology featured in the G903 and G703 mice: LightSpeed. According to Logitech, LightSpeed represents 'the difference between winning it all or walking away with nothing', thanks to a one-millisecond report rate and what the company vaguely describes as 'end-to-end signal optimisation'. The key takeaway from the LightSpeed tech, though, is Logitech's claim of a 12dB improvement in wireless signal strength - equivalent to a 16-fold increase - compared to the competition. The LightSpeed receiver, meanwhile, is built into the PowerPlay mousepad.

The PowerPlay Wireless Charging System is due to launch in August,
Logitech has confirmed, at a US recommended retail price of $99.99 (around £79 excluding taxes). The LightSpeed-equipped G903 and G703 mice, meanwhile, will appear in the channel later this month priced at $149.99 and $99.99 respectively (around £118 and £79 respectively, excluding taxes). More information is available from the company's official website.